Advanced Education, 2016, Issue 6, 34-39.
DOI: 10.20535/2410-8286.76533
FUNCTIONAL LITERACY LEARNING
IN THE SYSTEM OF ADULT EDUCATION IN BELGIUM
Nataliya Mukan
Lviv Polytechnic National University, Lviv, Ukraine
[email protected]
Olena Fuchyla
Lviv Polytechnic National University, Lviv, Ukraine
[email protected]
In the article, the problem of functional literacy training organisation in the system of adult education in Belgium has
been studied. The authors analyse the scientific and pedagogical literature which highlights different aspects of the
problem under research; characterise the research methodology which comprises theoretical and applied methods. They
present the theoretical and methodological framework (humanistic, pluralistic, andragogy concepts) of functional
literacy learning; different approaches (standard, context, social and cultural) to the term “functional literacy” treatment;
concretise the definition of “functional literacy”. The scholars study prerequisites (historical, political, social and
cultural, social and economic, linguistic) of adults’ functional illiteracy development in the modern Belgian society. The
researchers characterise the system of adult education according to the structural and functional approach, especially, its
legislative, managerial, organisational, and academic levels. They present the systematised and generalised specificities
of learning organisation for adults’ functional literacy development in formal education of Flemish Community
(Centres for adult education), German-speaking Community (public schools), in non-formal education of French
Community (network of volunteer organisations). The scientists analyse the content (knowledge, skills of basic and
professional education, social and personal skills, skills for self-education) and operational (organisational forms and
methods; methods for learning motivation) components of functional literacy learning. The authors present the research
conclusions and perspectives for further research.
Keywords: Belgium; adult education and learning; adult education system; functional literacy; content and operational
components of functional literacy learning.
Introduction
The key task of the education is defined as preparing citizens to functioning in the society. At the
beginning of the 21st century in the international educational space, this task not only keeps its actuality, but
acquires a new meaning. In the knowledge society, there is a trend to the gradual elimination of lowqualified workers. Modern labour markets of highly developed countries pose immensely high requirements
to the specialists in any branch of economy. So, full-scale functioning in the society requires a certain level
of acquired knowledge and developed skills, that is, possessing functional literacy. Accordingly, the lack of
such skills or the low level of acquired knowledge causes the phenomenon of functional illiteracy. Adult
functional illiteracy can be accompanied by the lack of certificates of accomplishing certain levels of
education, and as a result, the impossibility to gain further education and acquire professional skills meeting
the requirements of the modern labour market. Consequently, to overcome the problem of functional
illiteracy means to solve the problem of unemployment. At the same time, every country has its own
peculiarities of historical development, social progress, forming the people’s attitude towards learning in
general and literacy in particular. This situation requires investigating the phenomenon of functional literacy
in the context of historical, political, social and economic settings of every country. The development of
Belgium being a developed country located in the central part of Europe possesses the distinctive features of
European society as a whole. But in this country consisting of three language communities (Flemish, French
and German-speaking), the problems occur due to peculiarities of its federal system and, accordingly, the
language diversity of its population. The similarity of some characteristics of Ukrainian and Belgian societies
(historical development, language misunderstandings) determines the choice of the latter as the object of
comparative studies.
In the chorus, the globalisation of international economic space causes the mutual penetration of
educational tendencies of different countries all over the world. Naturally, these tendencies could be positive
as well as negative. Ukraine along with other European countries is an active participant in this process.
Therefore, studies and analysis of the phenomena causing functional illiteracy of adults in modern Belgium
and its experience in arranging the process of teaching functional literacy within the frames of the adult
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Functional literacy learning in the system of adult education in Belgium
education system as the part of lifelong learning in this country is important for forming strategies for
preventing the expansion of the phenomenon of functional illiteracy in Ukraine.
The analysis of scientific and pedagogical literature reveals that scientists all over the world research
various aspects of this problem. Goffinet & Van Damme (1990) conducted theoretical analysis of the
functional illiteracy of adults in Belgium, Maroun (2007) studied professional development of teachers of
adult basic education, Vermeersch (2008) researched the problem of adult literacy assessment,
Van Haecht (1985) analysed the social preconditions of adult illiteracy development in Belgium,
Manço (2006), Bousetta (2005) described the problem of immigrants’ linguistic integration in the country
under research. Ukrainian scientists Biduk (2006), Busko (2014), Havrylyuk (2012), Lukyanova (2010),
Mahdach (2013), Ohiyenko (2008), Folvarochnyi (2016), Fuchyla (2011) conducted comparative
pedagogical researches; Zyazyun (2005), Polyak (2011) studied some aspects of the researched problem, but
adults’ functional literacy learning in the modern Belgium society needs further study.
The importance of the research is also caused by the necessity of overcoming the discrepancies
between: the challenges of the modern knowledge society and the level of adult functional literacy, necessary
to full-scale functioning in the society; the needs for the development of adult functional literacy and
disparity between them and the mechanisms for satisfying them in the Ukrainian system of adult education;
the dynamic development of the Ukrainian system of adult education and the lack of normative legal,
organisational, scientific and methodological support; the necessity of the thorough analysis of efficient ideas
and foreign experience referring to teaching functional literacy and the lack of its systematic research and
generalisation in the Ukrainian pedagogical studies.
Therefore, the aim of the article is to analyse the theory and practice of adults’ functional literacy
learning organisation in Belgium.
The theoretical and methodological framework of our research are based on the andragogy principles
(Andryushchenko, 2010; Banit, 2010; Burenko, 2005; Lukyanova, 2010; Knowles, 1990); assumptions about
learning process and personality’s psychical development interdependency (Kostyuk, 2010; Ridkodubska,
2012); personality oriented education (Bekh, 2013; Yevdokymov, 2009; Tyurina, 2010); pedagogy and
andragogy development in the 21st century (Yankovych, 2014; Yarmachenko, 2011); modernization of
Ukrainian educational system in the context of European integration (Dubasenyuk, 2013; Pidlasyi, 2012);
lifelong learning and education (Barabash, 2014; Mukan, 2016; Morenko, 2013).
The authors used the complex of theoretical and applied methods applicable to the research aim and
objectives. We used analysis and synthesis to study and distinguish cause-and-effect relations in the process
of adult functional illiteracy development as well as the means for its rejection; induction and deduction to
determine the directions and specificity of functional literacy learning in the system of adult education in
Belgium; comparison to revise the legislative fundamentals of the three Belgian communities and to outline
common and different features; comparative and historical method to parallel social and educational
phenomena in historical retrospective. We used the methods of generalisation and concretization to highlight
the learning process in the system of adult education in Belgium. Throughout our research, we used
empirical methods, particularly, the discussions, questionnaires, and communication with educators of
Belgian Centres for adult education.
Functional literacy as the scientific and pedagogical problem
The analysis of scientific and pedagogical researches shows that they describe different aspects of the
functional illiteracy: adults illiteracy and adult education development (Fisher, 1927; Giere, 1987; Keppel,
1926; Maroun, 2007); fundamentals of andragogy (Caffarella, 2006; Knowles, 1990; Poonwassie, 2001) and
its expansion in the international educational space (Cranton, 2006; Shor & Freire, 1987); specificity of
historical and political development of Belgium which forms the prerequisites of functional illiteracy
development (Blom, 2006; Daugherty, 1998; Desjardins, Milana & Rubenson, 2006; Goffinet, 1990; Manço,
2006; Witte, 2001); adults’ functional illiteracy development and means to overwhelm the problem (Alam,
2004; Corcoran, 2008; Druine & Wildemeersch, 2000; Mezirow, 1991; Wlodkowski, 2008); the content,
forms and methods of functional literacy learning (Brown, 1996; Van Damme, 1990; English, 2006; Kerka,
2002; Kluzer, 2009; McGuirk, 2001; Lukin, 1997; Peoples, 2000); the learning environment peculiarities in
the system adult education (Merriam, 2006; de Meyer, 2006; Mukan, 2016; Ohiyenko, 2008; Rosen, 2008;
Zyazyun, 1997).
According to Halus & Shaposhnikova (2006), “the aim of functioning of the system of adult education
is to exercise the person’s right to lifelong learning” (p. 209). Therefore, the literacy in the 21 st century is not
interpreted as the set of basic skills developed by children during their first years of studying at school. It is a
set of skills, knowledge and strategies of personal development, which a person develops during his or her
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N. Mukan, O. Fuchyla
life in different contexts (political, market, cultural, social etc.) in the cooperation with other representatives
of the community, to which he or she belongs, and other communities, in whose activities he or she
participates. As Zakaulova (2008) declared, “the main factor of the development of European society is,
undoubtedly, a well-educated European community, whose integration will help to unite and enrich its
citizens, prepare them to strong challenges which new century prepares for them, teach them how to realize
real values and pass them to further generations” (p. 161).
Thus, there are different definitions of functional literacy and functional illiteracy (Mukan & Fuchyla,
2014). Chudinova (1994) found, that “functionally illiterate persons to a large extent lost their reading and
writing skills, and are not able to apprehend short and simple texts which reflect everyday life situations and,
therefore, cannot effectively function in the modern society” (p. 98). Contrariwise, it is clear that literacy
means using printed or written information for functioning in the society, for achieving personal goals and
developing personal knowledge and potential. A thorough analysis of the definition can show that the phrase
“using printed or written information” characterises literacy not as a set of isolated skills necessary for
reading and writing, but what is more important, as applying its incorporation for achieving goals in the
certain context. Initially, individuals use literacy for different purposes, which are altering according to the
changes of context and the person in it (Mikulecky, 1982). This usage variability leads to interaction with the
wide range of materials having different linguistic forms. In addition, different kinds of tasks in teaching
literacy require using different cognitive strategies for the development of necessary skills. The phrase “for
functioning in the society” implies including all possible contexts of the adults’ life, in which literacy is
crucial: from private to public, from school learning to professional activities, to lifelong learning and active
citizenship (Scribner & Cole, 1981). It emphasizes that literacy makes it possible for adults to benefit from
society as well as contribute to its functioning, namely, maintain or improve the living standards of the
society in general and of a person in particular; to become competitive in the labour market under the
conditions of globalisation; participate in the life activities of the society undergoing the persistent technical
development. Therefore, as Nikolayenko (2006) states, “[i]n the democratic state, education must create a
free citizen not only as the carrier of achievements of the previous generations, but also as an active selfreliant participant of social development ” (p. 7).
Consequently, we may conclude that functional literacy being part and parcel of modern society is a
versatile phenomenon which is much broader than the notion “literacy”. The latter means that an adult person
has some skills enabling him or her to read, write and count. But functional literacy of an adult reflects the
ability to fully participate in the society activities, accommodate himself/herself to the changes in the labour
market using modern technologies (for example, information technology) for accomplishing this goal.
In fact, in accordance with the context of applying this notion, functional literacy can be considered
from educational, social or political viewpoints (Groenestijn, 2003). We distinguish various types of
functional literacy. Actually, the phenomenon of functional literacy encompasses such types of literacy as:
autonomous literacy (literacy separated from its social, cultural and historical context perceived as a set of
technical basic skills); critical literacy (skills in critical attitude to a text and the analysis of its covert
meanings); ideological literacy (skills facilitating the development of a person in the social context and
his/her full and conscious participation in society life); dysfunctional literacy (person’s negative perception
of social and political conditions leading to his/her self-distrust, non-participation in a country life and, then,
to marginalisation); document literacy (skills enabling a person to find and pass the information arranged in
forms, tables, graphs, timetables etc.); narrative literacy / prose literacy (skills enabling a person to extract
information from belles-lettres, periodicals, advertisement and information leaflets, manuals etc. and apply it
to everyday life situations); numeracy or quantitative literacy (skills enabling a person to do arithmetical
operations which are necessary in everyday life (measuring out the amount of a medicine that a person
should take at one time, counting a percentage, a square etc.); integral literacy (a set of skills of autonomous
literacy (reading, writing, counting), social skills and knowledge of modern technologies enabling a person
to thoroughly function in the modern knowledge society) is the synonym for functional literacy, and
comprises interior (mental and cultural) and exterior (behavioural and social) dimensions (Bhola, 2008).
These types of functional literacy correspond to the context of the modern definition of functional
literacy and enable individuals to develop intellectual abilities, abstract thinking and critical attitude towards
reality, as well as ability to make decisions and solve problems independently.
Social and historical prerequisites of adult functional illiteracy development in Belgium
After analysing the history of Belgium and its development, the main causes of the phenomenon of
functional illiteracy occurring in this country have been revealed. The analysis has shown that in this country
the development of education in general and literacy of its population, in particular, has taken place under the
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Functional literacy learning in the system of adult education in Belgium
conditions of continuous political changes. Since the territories of modern Belgium got into the reign of
different European countries, the population living there underwent language and religious oppression.
Education was also affected by these events. Syllabi and language were changing. Students learned in the
hostile environment, and this created their negative attitude to education altogether. Even after proclaiming
the independence of Belgium, its government could not form an integrated system of education in the
country due to continuous confrontations between the representatives of two language and cultural
communities (Dutch-speaking and French-speaking). The representatives of a small German-speaking
population did not participate in these confrontations. This territory was connected to Belgium as a result of
annexation after World War I and then after World War II. For a long time, this community even did not
have a right to its own broadcasting.
Actually, the situation in the Belgian education was complicated by the phenomenon of immigration
occurring due to poor economic situation and losses in manpower after World War II. At first, citizens of
other European countries moved to Belgium. Being representatives of European culture, they quickly
adapted themselves to a new language and cultural environment. Next waves of immigrants arrived in
Belgium from Muslim countries and caused the appreciable degradation of a population literacy level.
On the other hand, technical progress posed new tasks before the population of the whole European
area. So, the illiteracy of some social strata did not disappear, but assumed a new form called “functional
illiteracy”.
Social and economic aspects of functional illiteracy in the modern society of Belgium have been
revealed. In this regard, we should mention that persons who quit learning prematurely and without gaining a
certificate of certain educational level cannot continue their education in any European country. The
phenomenon of leaving education prematurely (especially secondary school education) is considered to be
common in all developed countries all over the world. There are some social factors which strongly affect
this situation. One of them, as our analysis has shown, is the parents’ occupation, that is, their belonging to
some social stratum. This social position determines to a large degree the further education and occupation of
their children and, thereby, the direction of professional tendencies in the educational system of Belgium.
We can notice the destructive influence of pupils or students discrimination (by social status and origin) by
teachers and its effect on the further education of adults.
Thus, the complicated historical process of Belgium development as an independent democratic state
has affected its system of education as well as the citizens’ attitude to learning, so that language and religious
discrepancies and conflicts deepened an educational crisis. Having solved the problem of coexistence of
language communities by delegating the responsibility to develop their culture and education, Belgian
federal government still did not solve the number of social problems: the lack of equal possibilities of the
access to education concerning adults as well as children; relationship between the educational level,
achieved by children and a social status of their parents. It has been revealed that “labeling” the
representatives of certain social strata begins at the pre-school level and causes poor performance,
backwardness and educational failure in primary school and becomes particularly drastic during the
distribution of secondary school students into four different education forms: General secondary education,
Technical secondary education, Vocational secondary education and Secondary arts education. As
Goffinet & Van Damme (1990) declared, “[o]bviously, there is a social selection process in secondary and
higher education, as it can be seen, for example, in the fact that certain social classes are over-represented in
technical and vocational education, that social background determines the various paths taken during
educational life and that the children of working-class backgrounds are under-represented in higher
education” (p. 44). The early choice of future occupation, in our opinion, has also a negative aspect: it does
not take into account the peculiarities of puberty age (12 – 14 years old), which, evidently, can affect taking
adequate decisions about further education and development.
The problems of the social integration of the immigrants (low level of basic skills and influence of
cultural differences on the process of their involving into learning) deepen the social differentiation of
Belgian society at the beginning of the 21st century and affect the increase in the amount of functionally
illiterate citizens.
Realisation of functional literacy learning in the system of adult education in Belgium
The government pays special attention to adult education which is the constituent part of the Belgian
system of education and is based on the principles of lifelong education. Nevertheless, approaches to adult
education organisation in language communities of Belgium are different. Such situation can be justified
with the fact that federal government has transferred the entire responsibility for educational, cultural and
language questions to the governments of the Communities.
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N. Mukan, O. Fuchyla
The government of Flanders (Dutch-speaking community) created the elaborate and effective system,
which enables students to obtain the education in the range from basic to vocational education.
In this context, the special position in the system of adult education belongs to vocational education
directed towards acquiring an occupation, professional development and retraining of the unemployed. In the
Walloon (French-speaking community) the activities of public educational establishments are directed
towards the vocational training and retraining of specialists aiming at their professional and career
development as well as working possibilities for the unemployed. The system of training for the
representatives of small and medium size enterprises (SME) is also available there. In the German-speaking
community, the main tasks of adult education consist in creating the conditions for acquiring secondary
education, and vocational education in the field of agriculture or SME.
In Flanders, the functional literacy training is provided by Centres for Adult Basic Education, and
conducted according to the framework of the “Strategic Literacy Plan”. In the French-speaking community
teaching literacy is provided by volunteer organisations, and the German-speaking community arranges
teaching literacy on the basis of public schools.
It should be emphasised, that in Belgium, functional literacy learning is based on the principles of
andragogy that is, on applying an individual approach to every adult student, considering and developing his
or her motivation to acquire knowledge. For fulfilling this task, the complex of methods including
theoretical, practical, communicative and social ones is used. These methods are directed not only towards
the development of basic literacy skills (reading, writing and counting) but also arouse students’ interest in
studying the surrounding world and seeking for further education.
In Flanders, the modular system has been introduced in the system of basic adult education. This system
guarantees that the end goals of one module coincide with the entrance requirements of the next one and,
therefore, facilitate the functional literacy learning in any educational establishment of the Community.
In the French-speaking community, the functional literacy learning, besides the development of the
basic skills including writing, reading, and counting, is directed towards the formation of reality
understanding, the practical application of acquired knowledge to everyday life, the integration of a person
into the society. This learning is provided by volunteer organisations implementing the principles of lifelong
learning, the programs against unemployment and towards social and professional integration of a person.
The analysis of the content, methods and forms of functional literacy teaching in the Belgian system of
adult education enables us to state that this form of education is based on the principles of andragogy in the
French-speaking and Dutch-speaking communities with the use of individual approach and in small groups.
Complex teaching methods help to find a proper approach to students in accordance with their motivation
and goals, to choose the lesson topics according to the students’ interests and create the atmosphere of trust
and optimism among the students and teachers. The main tasks of functional literacy teaching in the Belgian
system of adult education are determined as the formation of basic skills, communicative skills, development
of independent decisions making and applying acquired knowledge for solving everyday problems,
development of interest in reading as an activity which develops creative thinking and imagination.
Conclusions
As the research results show, functional literacy learning is based on the complex integration of
humanistic, pluralistic and andragogical theories, concepts, approaches. Functional literacy is the ability to
create and use printed and written materials connected with different contexts which is mastered by the
individuals in the process of permanent learning for gaining the possibility of achieving goals and realizing
personal potential as a personality, specialist in some field of economy or social sphere and apply the
acquired skills in the everyday activities of the modern knowledge society.
As the result of the conducted analysis, such forms of adult functional literacy as autonomous, critical,
ideological, dysfunctional, document, narrative / prose, numeracy or quantitative, integral literacy have been
determined.
According to the policy of the governments of language communities, the structural-functional scheme
of the organisation of the Belgian system of adult education has been created. Federal ministers remain
responsible for providing and financing educational leave for the employees of the private sector of the
economy.
The Flemish system of adult education consists of: public educational institutions providing formal
basic and vocational adult education; non-formal educational establishments realising the learning facilities
in the network of non-governmental organisations which enable all-round personal development of adults;
and informational service coordinating the activities of different providers of adult education.
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Functional literacy learning in the system of adult education in Belgium
Adult vocational education in the French-speaking community is realised by the means of formal
education. The main task of this sector consists in promoting the professional advancement, employment and
retraining of specialists. Only a few educational establishments of this community provide the possibility for
acquiring adult functional literacy skills. Non-formal adult education in the French-speaking community
provides teaching of functional literacy for autochthons as well as for immigrants.
The system of adult education in the German-speaking community provides vocational education for the
employees of small and medium-sized enterprises, in the field of agriculture, as well as adult learning
according to the primary and secondary school syllabi for gaining a relevant certificate.
The specific features of the practical implementation of functional literacy teaching in the Belgian
system of adult education have been determined. It has been found out that its content component covers
knowledge and skills of basic education (speaking, reading, writing, numerical and informational literacy) as
well as vocational education, the use of social experience (job seeking, solving domestic problems), thorough
functioning in society life, personal development and self-education. It has been concluded that functional
literacy supports such skills and abilities as ideas and information exchange, use of numbers, use of
informational technologies, work with people and in teams, decision-making and problem-solving.
It has been revealed that teaching functional literacy in Belgium is based on the use of three main
approaches: analytical approach (from a simple to more complex notion); global structural approach
(learning words as significant values with further developing usage); reader’s approach (determination of the
text meaning with the help of formulating the hypotheses about its content).
In the French-speaking community of Belgium, the teaching materials are created with the use of global
structural and reader’s approaches. These are materials accommodated to functionally illiterate adults
intended for helping them solve the problems of their everyday life through the development of basic skills
and encouraging to reading for information about the world and the development of abstract thinking. In the
Dutch-speaking community of Belgium, such main methods as experience teaching and theme tasks are
used. The aim of teaching adult literacy in Flanders is the promotion of students’ development in everyday
life.
The prospects for further research consist in studying the possibilities of professional training of
specialists for working in the system of adult education (andragogues), the compatibility of vocational and
general (or cultural) education, the features of the development of the phenomenon of functional illiteracy of
adults in the conditions of poly-cultural society and united European educational space.
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Received: August 29, 2016
Accepted: October 26, 2016
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